UK Broadcasters Launch Terrestrial HD Trials with Grass Valley HD MPEG4 Encoders
BBC Trial Also Available on Sky Satellite Platform
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five are conducting the first trial high definition broadcasts on digital terrestrial television in the UK. Due to last about six months, the trial aims to test all technical aspects of delivering high definition to an aerial and to conduct audience research on high definition on DTT. MPEG-4 compression and encoding for the trial - a closed technical test under licence from Ofcom, restricted to 450 households within the London transmission footprint - will use Grass Valley ViBE encoders.
ITV, Channel 4 and Five are timesharing a multiplex. Transmission specialist Arqiva is delivering this service, using two Grass Valley ViBE MPEG-4 HD encoders. ITV had already selected ViBE MPEG-2 encoders as part of re-equipping its standard definition delivery platform, also provided by Arqiva. Arqiva says that a major purpose of the trial is to evaluate the technology and to see how MPEG-4 HD performs on the DTT platform. Among the other equipment installed by Arqiva as part of its preparations for this trial is a Grass Valley K2 server which delivers the HD content.
Siemens Business Services Media, the BBC 's technology partner, has also installed ViBE MPEG-4 HD encoders, to deliver both the terrestrial signal and the BBC 's HD channel on Sky, which is a free to air service. The BBC 's trial service will run for about a year, and include high definition coverage from major sporting events as well as prestige drama and documentary programmes such as Bleak House and Planet Earth.
One of the key benefits of the ViBE MPEG-4 HD encoder is its ability to deliver very high quality HD signals within a limited bandwidth. This will be enhanced later in the year with a new version of the ViBE MPEG-4 encoder, built around a custom chip developed by Grass Valley for the purpose. Users of the current ViBE encoder will have the opportunity to upgrade simply by replacing the processor board for free.
ITV will offer its own World Cup coverage in HD, completing the full line-up of World Cup games, as well as drama such as Agatha Christie's Poirot specials "Death on the Nile " and "Murder in Mesopotamia ", documentaries such as "Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures " and classic films including "All Quiet on the Western Front " and "The Big Sleep ". Channel 4 will be showing HD versions of hit US drama series "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives", FilmFour films and other Channel 4 programming. Five will be showing episodes of popular US series "CSI ", plus commissioned programmes such as "Tim Marlow at MOMA " and movies such as "Cocktail ".
For information about Grass Valley products from Thomson please visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.
